Photos: Top 10 best things to do in Vancouver this week, July 17 to July 25

Nancy Lanthier, Vancouver Sun07.17.2014

OK Go: The band known for its brilliant, low-budget, single-take videos has done it again. Their op-art eye-popper created for new single Writing’s On The Wall has already clocked 10 million views. The song is included on the just-released EP Upside Out, which delivers more adept powerpop along with the disco tinged track I Won’t Let you Down. On stage, the group tends to tone down the spectacle and geek dancing but they do sport fabulous suits. July 19, 7:30 p.m. | Venue | Tix & info: $20 (plus fees) livenation.com

Vancouver Queer Arts Festival: An out-and-out cultural bonanza is planned for this year’s fest, which brings together queer art and artists from 27 nations for three weeks of exhibitions, performances, and workshops. As always, the event kicks off with an extravagant gala, featuring performances amid a provocative art exhibition. Other highlights include the debut of Cor Flammae (pictured), a choir that plays up the hidden queerness in classical music (forever changing the way one hears these songs); and Alien Sex, a speculative fiction/hot fantasy organized by actor/director David Bloom, featuring an all-star cast of genderqueer talent (and for spectators, prizes for best alien costume). | July 23 — Aug. 9 | Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre | Tix & info: Free - $35 brownpapertickets.com

Vancouver Chamber Choir: Narvaez Bay — Tidal Predictions : What does the tide sound like? The Vancouver Chamber Choir performs a work that transcribes tide levels near co-composer Mark Timmings’s home onto musical scales — the ebb and flow of the tide interpreted through the inhaling and exhaling breath of 20 voices. Appropriately, the choir performs the piece on Cedrick Bomford’s floating sculpture Deadhead. July 18, 8 p.m. | Ryerson United Church and July 19, 3:30 and 4:45 p.m. | Deadhead barge (near Vancouver Maritime Museum; with free ferry service) | All shows free: More info at vancouverchamberchoir.com

Your Kontinent: Richmond International Film and Media Arts Festival
The cutting-edge multimedia festival’s theme this year is ways technology affects our lives, so among 30 films presented from around the world are the hit documentaries High Tech, Low Life, offering a look at citizen journalism in heavily regulated China, and Web Junkie (pictured), about teenagers with Internet addiction. Meanwhile, Vancouver artist and teacher Vjeko Sager explores the human/technology connection by living for seven days in an on-site tower, broadcasting his every idea culled from the experience via tweets and blog. Other events include Digital Carnival — outdoor dance party meets multimedia bazaar — and Foreign Radical, Theatre Conspiracy’s interactive exploration of cyber surveillance. | July 17-26 | Richmond Cultural Centre | Tix & info: $6 and up ykfestival.ca

Sonidos Gitanos Flamenco: The revered dancer and singer Maria Bermudez, a Mexican-American whose soul is deeply planted in the Andalucia region of Spain, the cradle of flamenco and Gypsy culture, stars in this lusty, joyful and often spontaneous touring performance. Her longtime band, some of Spain’s best musicians, and Vancouver dancer Kasandra “La China,” add to the magic.
July 19, 8 p.m. | Norman Rothstein Theatre | Tix & info: $35-55 caravanbc.com

Squamish Mountain Festival: Now in its ninth year, this grassroots gathering’s climbing and bouldering events have become so popular, most are sold out. But the festival also includes complimentary activities such as yoga, a mountain film festival and photography contest and, wouldn’t you know it, parties. Indeed, when not top-roped to a cliff, you’ve probably got a drink in hand (the website’s front page advising all to “bring your own beer mug”). | July 17-20 | Various Squamish locations | More info: squamishmountainfestival.comian lindsay
/ Vancouver Sun

Selfie:Do a Google image search on Erica Lapadat-Janzen and you’ll find nearly nude pictures, one with her private parts taped over with provocative text. You’ll also find her fashion-model-pretty face photoshopped into all manner of distorted weirdness. The Internet is Lapadat-Janzen’s medium and this is her art. Her Facebook friends have seen hundreds of amazing photos she’s taken of herself, outdoing both Lady Gaga’s costumes and Cindy Sherman’s fearlessness. Lapadat-Janzen curates local crowdsourced happenings and participates in virtual galleries around the world. This is a chance to see her art beyond the web. The show also includes work by selfie maestro Organ Armani. Opens July 17, 7-11 p.m.; runs to July 26 | Hot Art Wet City

Jon Hopkins: It’s more than a year since the inventive and emotive British electronic producer Jon Hopkins released his acclaimed Immunity album, but the demand to hear the record live is still huge and he continues to tour relentlessly. During his last show here in November, Hopkins delivered enthralling slabs of bass-heavy techno, and while barely acknowledging his fans, he left them rapturous.
July 22, doors 8 p.m., show 9:30 p.m. | Fortune Sound Club | Tix & info: $15 (plus fee) ticketweb.ca

Robson Summer Fest: Robson Street’s fashion district turns up the beats with musical buskers on every block during the first Robson Summer Fest. Shoppers can expect plenty of free samples from stores and restaurants, a giant Jenga set on Bute Street, and (wait for it ... ) fast action by a Japanese Double Dutch skipping team. July 19, 12-4 p.m. | Robson Street | Free: More info at robsonstreet.ca

Do a Google image search on Erica Lapadat-Janzen and you’ll find nearly nude pictures, one with her private parts taped over with provocative text. You’ll also find her fashion-model-pretty face photoshopped into all manner of distorted weirdness. The Internet is Lapadat-Janzen’s medium and this is her art. Her Facebook friends have seen hundreds of amazing photos she’s taken of herself, outdoing both Lady Gaga’s costumes and Cindy Sherman’s fearlessness. Lapadat-Janzen curates local crowdsourced happenings and participates in virtual galleries around the world. This is a chance to see her art beyond the web. The show also includes work by selfie maestro Organ Armani.

Opens July 17, 7-11 p.m.; runs to July 26 | Hot Art Wet City

More info: hotartwetcity.com

Squamish Mountain Festival

Now in its ninth year, this grassroots gathering’s climbing and bouldering events have become so popular, most are sold out. But the festival also includes complimentary activities such as yoga, a mountain film festival and photography contest and, wouldn’t you know it, parties. Indeed, when not top-roped to a cliff, you’ve probably got a drink in hand (the website’s front page advising all to “bring your own beer mug”).

July 17-20 | Various Squamish locations

More info: squamishmountainfestival.com

Your Kontinent: Richmond International Film and Media Arts Festival

The cutting-edge multimedia festival’s theme this year is ways technology affects our lives, so among 30 films presented from around the world are the hit documentaries High Tech, Low Life, offering a look at citizen journalism in heavily regulated China, and Web Junkie (pictured), about teenagers with Internet addiction. Meanwhile, Vancouver artist and teacher Vjeko Sager explores the human/technology connection by living for seven days in an on-site tower, broadcasting his every idea culled from the experience via tweets and blog. Other events include Digital Carnival — outdoor dance party meets multimedia bazaar — and Foreign Radical, Theatre Conspiracy’s interactive exploration of cyber surveillance.

July 17-26 | Richmond Cultural Centre

Tix & info: $6 and up ykfestival.ca

Vancouver Chamber Choir: Narvaez Bay — Tidal Predictions

What does the tide sound like? The Vancouver Chamber Choir performs a work that transcribes tide levels near co-composer Mark Timmings’s home onto musical scales — the ebb and flow of the tide interpreted through the inhaling and exhaling breath of 20 voices. Appropriately, the choir performs the piece on Cedrick Bomford’s floating sculpture Deadhead.

The band known for its brilliant, low-budget, single-take videos has done it again. Their op-art eye-popper created for new single Writing’s On The Wall has already clocked 10 million views. The song is included on the just-released EP Upside Out, which delivers more adept powerpop along with the disco tinged track I Won’t Let you Down. On stage, the group tends to tone down the spectacle and geek dancing but they do sport fabulous suits.

July 19, 7:30 p.m. | Venue

Tix & info: $20 (plus fees) livenation.com

Sonidos Gitanos Flamenco

The revered dancer and singer Maria Bermudez, a Mexican-American whose soul is deeply planted in the Andalucia region of Spain, the cradle of flamenco and Gypsy culture, stars in this lusty, joyful and often spontaneous touring performance. Her longtime band, some of Spain’s best musicians, and Vancouver dancer Kasandra “La China,” add to the magic.

July 19, 8 p.m. | Norman Rothstein Theatre

Tix & info: $35-55 caravanbc.com

Robson Summer Fest

Robson Street’s fashion district turns up the beats with musical buskers on every block during the first Robson Summer Fest. Shoppers can expect plenty of free samples from stores and restaurants, a giant Jenga set on Bute Street, and (wait for it ... ) fast action by a Japanese Double Dutch skipping team.

July 19, 12-4 p.m. | Robson Street

Free: More info at robsonstreet.ca

Night Magic: VSO at Bard on the Beach

In what will likely be the start of a beautiful relationship, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performs under the stars on the main stage at Bard on the Beach for the first time. The program echoes last week’s satisfying Music in the Park concert (at a jam-packed Deer Lake Park), with music by Mozart and Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky’s masterful Violin Concerto performed by the gifted Vancouver violinist, 17-year-old Lucy Wang.

July 21, 7:30 p.m. | Vanier Park

Tix & info: $47/27 vancouversymphony.ca

Jon Hopkins

It’s more than a year since the inventive and emotive British electronic producer Jon Hopkins released his acclaimed Immunity album, but the demand to hear the record live is still huge and he continues to tour relentlessly. During his last show here in November, Hopkins delivered enthralling slabs of bass-heavy techno, and while barely acknowledging his fans, he left them rapturous.

July 22, doors 8 p.m., show 9:30 p.m. | Fortune Sound Club

Tix & info: $15 (plus fee) ticketweb.ca

Vancouver Queer Arts Festival

An out-and-out cultural bonanza is planned for this year’s fest, which brings together queer art and artists from 27 nations for three weeks of exhibitions, performances, and workshops. As always, the event kicks off with an extravagant gala, featuring performances amid a provocative art exhibition. Other highlights include the debut of Cor Flammae (pictured), a choir that plays up the hidden queerness in classical music (forever changing the way one hears these songs); and Alien Sex, a speculative fiction/hot fantasy organized by actor/director David Bloom, featuring an all-star cast of genderqueer talent (and for spectators, prizes for best alien costume).

July 23 — Aug. 9 | Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre

Tix & info: Free - $35 brownpapertickets.com

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Photos: Top 10 best things to do in Vancouver this week, July 17 to July 25

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